Behind Every Silver Lining Is Another Storm Cloud
by lovely-narcissa
Summary: Every day we waited, but still they did not return' one day the raid doesnt come home, and when they do, they bring terrible news. Heart broken and cryng, Wanda is left alone.But then oneday she sees him. usual pairings. Wanda/Ian
1. Gunman

_Author's note 18/3/11: Before you read this: I don't know how long it will be before this is updated. I would have to re-read the Host which, with my current book backlog waiting to be read plus the major amounts of exams and coursework going on, is not likely to be anytime soon. _

_But still, read away, tell me what you think; all reviews are extremely welcome _

I sit up, the world spinning, hurtling so fast around my head I have to reach out to steady myself. My tiny hands grope around in the darkness, searching for some kind of handhold I can reach out for. I can't see it's so dark, not pitch black, but almost there. My right hand reaches a large shape and I cling onto it, immediate warmth and strength flooding into me.

"Wanda?" Ian mumbles. Oops. I hadn't meant to wake him. He sounds groggy and still half asleep. Immediately I feel guilty for waking him. In the dim light I see his large figure rising up, the soft light catches his sapphire eyes, making them sparkle ever so slightly. "Are you all right?" he whispers, his giant hand reaching up to cup my chin. I don't need light to know his beautiful face is filled with concern.

"I um, yes" I whisper back.

"No you're not."

My eyes are getting used to the dim light now, and I can make out the more prominent features on his face, his straight nose, black hair, and deep blue eyes.

"Wanda," he whispers at me, "don't lie to me, please."

I give in, knowing that I will feel bad whatever decision I make. Guilty for worrying him, or guilty for not telling the truth.

"I, had" I paused, trying to remember some of the details from my 'vision'. "A dream" I completed the sentenced rushing. In the faint light I see Ian's eyebrows shoot up with concern. "I-its nothing to be worried about though," I stammer. "Just a dream."

"Will you tell me?" he asks shuffling towards me on our mattress. Gently he strokes my cheek, fire following where is rough hands touch me. he is running his hand up to my ear and gently kissing me, making me blush scarlet.

"I-well I can't really remember much of it" I say truthfully. My extensive memory scans, searching for the fragments of dream that were fast disappearing into nothingness.

"I-I was in the desert" I start, seeing the vivid images of the nightmare rush before my eyes.

_I cradled the child in my thin arms. She stared at me, her large sapphire eyes wide with fright and trust. "Momma" her pale arms reached out towards me and automatically I responded, hugging her closer. Then I heard the noise, one that I feared and despised above all others. My small heart accelerated, stuttering uncontrollably with terror. I spun around, the small child still in my arms, my fragile frame subconsciously forming a shield around her tiny body, shielding her from the inevitable danger. I gasped as I completed the half turn shocked at the sudden reality of the situation. The gun was less than an inch from my face, the hideously shiny double barrel glinting menacingly in the moon light. "Please" I heard a small voice whisper, barely audible in the wide expanse of the desert "please don't do this." it was then that I realised the voice was my own, cracked and dry from thirst. "you mustn't" I stared down the barrel of the gun into his eyes; their vivid color shining underneath a layer of reflective silver. His sun burnt face twisted into a malicious, almost evil smile. I heard him laugh quietly to himself. "But of course I must" he said, his voice full of malice, "Shouldn't everyone have an aim in life?" he paused letting her words cut into me like knives, staring at me with his wide, manic, eyes._

_Suddenly he gasps, a whole different expression transforming his face, one of pain and torture. "NO!" he yells, his voice desperate, screaming. "NOT HER!" but it's too late. As if struggling against himself he pulled the trigger, the shot shooting down the barrel towards me._

_Somewhere in the distance I heard the blue-eyed child scream._

_All went black and I felt no more._

"That was where I woke up" I whisper.

There is a faint light filtering through the holes in the ceiling now and in the morning light I see Ian's taught, anxious face.

"You don't know who the gunman was?" he asks uneasily.

yes.

"no. Ian, it was a dream" I start to get cross. He is always so protective; it _was_ only a dream after all. However, despite that clear fact, something about it still haunts me. He lifts one hand up to my face again, but I look away.

"Wanda," he says, pulling my face effortlessly back towards him, "you are such a bad lier."  
"im a Soul," i say huffily. "what do you expect?"  
"well?"  
"Wel what?"  
"are you going to tell me?"

I hesitate. I did want to tell him. But, at the same time I didn't.

"It was you" I whisper, almost scared of his reaction.

Then he kisses me again, a pleasent burning sensation. A fire of passion. His hands are in my halo of hair, on my neck, and my hands are flat against his smooth, muscled chest. All the memories of the previous night suddenly come flooding back to me in a great rush. The rainy season had finished about a week ago and once more, me and Ian were in a room together- on our own. We were in our own world, together as one.

"wanda, Wands." he mutters through our locked lips. "You know i woud never do anything like that. I love you"

I am reasured by this and the dream is quickly forgotten. Oblivious of the dawning day around us, we sit there on the mattress, neither of us focusing of anything but each other. That is of course until Jamie appears.

"EW YOU GUYS!" he shrieks, flinging open the makeshift door. "If there is one thing I need, it is NOT watching porn before breakfast!"

We spring apart in surprise at this sudden intrusion. I, of course, go tomato red and start biting my lower lip in embarrassment. I throw a sheepish glance at Ian who is glaring at Jamie so hard I was amazed the boy didn't frizzle up on the spot.

"well," says Ian getting to his knees. I try to stifle the laugh that attempts to escape me on sight of Jamie's appalled face. Ian glares at him even worse, and I had to admit he looked rather sexy shirtless with only trakky bottoms on. "Well, you should burst in on people then, should you? Huh?"

"Ooooh, well so-_rry_" Jamie says, hands on hips, a fake pout on his lips "I only came to tell you two too hurry up. It's Mel's Birthday today. We're gathering in the kitchen"

Oh God! Melanie's birthday! I have completely forgotten. Jamie slouches out of our small room muttering something about being 'scarred for life'. I glance over at Ian who, to my great surprise is in silent hysterics. I patiently wait for him to stop laughing.

He stops.

"what?" he asks, pulling a strange face. I giggle.

"why were you laughing?" I ask incredulous.

"well, proberly a combination of Jamie's supposed pouting and your face when you realised it was Mel's birthday today." He starts laughing again."don't worry, he says, realising the genuine concern on my face" I've managed to get her a CD player.

"really?"

"uhu, why did you think I wanted to go to the main shopping centre on the last raid?"

oooh! I seeee! That would explain Ian's mysterious half-hour disappearance. I glare at him.

"why didn't you tell me?" I accuse. "That worried me silly!"

"uh, I forgot" - I believe him.

"ummm" I mutter disapprovingly. "what about…"

"CD's?" Ian interrupts. "yerh, Jared's got some from some where.- Spice Girls." He sniffs in a disapproving fashion. I, of course have never head of them.

"who?"

"Ask Mel"

"okay"

I sigh. I should proberly get up. I drag my small self from under the warm covers and onto the floor.

Ian, however, is already standing, grinning like a mad thing, his sapphire eyes glinting.

"I need a shower," he says, grabbing a towel and a handful of clothes from the pile in the corner.

"mkay" I mutter. I am trying to reach the five feet or so across the cold, stone floor to grab my shoes. "rawr!" I grumble. I am about an inch off and I really don't want to tread on the freezing ground.

I hear Ian laugh again. He walks over too my sneakers and picks them, passing them too me.

"thankyou" I smile.

"Your welcome" comes his reply. He walks out of the room whistling some song I didn't know to himself.

I stuff my tichy feet into the sneakers and stand up, surveying our small cave for my clothes. I spot them, neatly folder in a corner of the room. Carefully stepping through the various card-games and other possessions scattered across the floor, I walk over to them. I hated mess- but somehow when Ian was your partner, and your adopted 'brother' spent the majority of his time in your room, it was unavoidable.

I start pulling my arms out of the arm holes in then tee shirt. Then occurs to me that I didn't actually know what I am wearing. I glance down at the large baggy tee-shirt, Ian's of course. It reaches to past my knees! It is black, with a name scrawled across the chest. I hold it out, attempting to reach the scratchy white lettering.

'My Chemical Romance'. Hmmm. I make a mental note to ask Ian about it later.

I pull the shirt off, letting it crumple to the ground and hastily pull on underwear and then the folded clothes on the floor; a faded pink, baby doll top with a cartoon kitten on it and a pair of grubby blue jeans.

Quickly I pull a brush through my tangley, golden hair before turning and exiting the room, heading for the kitchen.


	2. Out Cold

The kitchen is crowded, filled with bustling bodies smells of fried eggs. Yum. I love fried eggs. I quickly look around for Mel. I spy her sitting at the center table, surrounded by a small pile of gifts and home-made cards.

"Wanda!" she cries as she sees me.

"hey Mel!" I say, bounding up to her and flinging my arms around her sun-tanned shoulders. "Happy Birthday!"

"I know!" she squees. "Twenty five! I can't believe it!"

Just then Doc and Sharon enter, hand in hand. Well that's good, at least they're on good terms again.

"Happy Birthday Mel!" Doc repeats, grinning. He has his hands behind his back. He looks down at Sharon, who nudges him, indicating that she should give whatever was in his had to Melanie. He brings out a large box of Celebrations, tied with a single blue ribbon.

"OMG! CHOCOLATE!" Mel reaches out for the box, undoing the bow and thrusting her hand in side. Moments later her hand emerges clutching a Snickers bar. Greedily she tears of the wrapper and stuffs it in her mouth.

I am so busy watching Mel's curious display that I have only just realised Jared creeping up behind her. I start to giggle and Jared frowns at me, indicating me to be quiet.

Just as Melanie is stuffing her fourth Snickers bar into her mouth, Jared pounces, scooping her up like the newly-wed bride she is, in his strong muscled arms

"ARGH!" Mel screams in an uncharacteristically high girly voice.

"Ha! Got you" he kisses her full on the lips, in front of every one. I feel a sudden pang of jealousy towards Mel. Irrational, I know, but I can't help it. I had spent almost a year and a half in Mel's body, all the while feeling drawn to Jared, his tanned skin, dark hair and even darker eyes. What am I thinking? I have Ian! Ian who I don't deserve. Ian who still loves me, just for being me, Wanderer.

I look across to the stove where Maggie is being chef- as normal, and also as normal, she ignoring everyone else's existence. Well, apart from Sharon, who had sidled up to her the moment she had let go of Doc.

And so the scene continued for about another five or ten minuets. More people arrived, all wishing Mel a happy birthday, Maggie cooked more eggs,-most of which were eaten by Jamie and Freedom and Jeb, who surprisingly I hadn't noticed before kept yelling at people to 'Keep the God Damn Noise Down!"

"What ya doooin?"

I jump, spinning round at the same time to find myself less than an inch away from Ian's face. His blue are yes looking down at me, one thick, black eyebrow raised.

"watching." I reply, turning back to look at Mel. Ian slips his large, muscled arms around my miniature waist.

"I still can't believe it's been two years" I whisper, looking up to my head fits nicely in the hollow beneath his chin.

"Neither can I," Ian mutters.

Two years of living harmoniously with my fellow rebels. Gosh, that makes it almost four since I came to earth, almost twelve since the invasion began. The time as flown so fast! We stand there, Ian's arms wrapped around me for a moment longer, both gazing at the scene before us.

"Where's our present to her?" I suddenly ask.

"Under the abnormally large pile of laundry in our room" Ian whispers. "Hang on, I'll go get it."

"What? No, its okay. I'll fetch it."

Reluctantly he unwraps his arms from around me.

"are you sure you'll be able to lift it?" he enquires anxiously.

"Ian." I mock glare at him.

"Fine, fine." He mutters. I turn to skip out of the kitchen towards our room.

"come and get me if you can't lift it!" I hear him call after me.

I walk down the more than familiar corridors. Ha! I could walk around theses caves blindfolded now and I wouldn't get lost. Not that I need to be blindfolded to not see. They are so dark, even with the bluish solar lamps. I have to admit, those solar lamps give me the creeps. It's weird. They never used to when I was Melanie. I have had to get used to a LOAD of new changes since occupying Pet. Fortunately, people aren't _quite_ so protective when it comes to hard jobs like farming etc. I have been able to build up some muscles which help…loads. I reach the bedroom part of the caves and take the right fork, the one that leads to mine and Ian's room. About summer last year, Jeb decided to extend the sleeping quarters on account of the three new people who had joined us. Eden and Isaac are seventeen year old twins, who had travelled from New York on hearing that there were rebel cells in the deserts. When we found them, Isaac was almost dead from dehydration and Eden had given up hope of ever finding a unit. If Jeb hadn't insisted on doing a 'necessary' clothing raid, we would never had found them. The other new addition was Peter, a tall, well built man of about sixty who used to be a Healer. We had 'soulnapped' as Jared put it, him and sent the resident soul to the flower world. Luckily Peter regained consciousness within a few hours. In my opinion he is brilliant company for Doc. Candy, although she used to also be a healer, cant really remember much of her time of being occupied and so unfortunately isn't much use in that aspect of things. She is, as it turns out a brilliant cook. Seriously, she makes the best cake in the world…not that I have tasted many examples.

Mel and Jamie decided to make a birthday cake for Lily on her last birthday. Shell from precious eggs and sloppy cake mixture _everywhere_. It took forever to get the kitchen clean again. There were five of us as well, Jamie, Mel, Ian, Sunny and me. We laughed about it later though.

I pass various 'rooms' habitually counting them until I get to ours, a small entrance with a thin sheet of metal across the front as a door. According to Ian, it used to be a trash can lid. I swing open the door and sweep back the purple piece of fabric serving as a dividing curtain. I enter our room and scan around for the 'abnormally large pile of laundry'. I spot it immediately. It was a wonder I didn't spot it when I got up first thing this morning. I must have been _really_ distracted by that dream. I cant even remember much of it now. Something about a desert? Oh well. It's not like it matters. I cross the room, once again avoiding large piles of junk. Oooo that really annoys me. I stop to pick up a book lying on the floor. It's Ian's note book. He writes _everything_ in there. I don't flick through it. Being a soul it's against my nature to look at anyone else's private things. Instead I place it gently on our mattress. Back to the job in hand. I start to move towards the laundry.

Suddenly the room is spinning. I feel faint. I don't want to faint. That will just mean every one else getting upset. I am going to be sick. I try to stumble towards the bed, but I can't focus on anything. My foot catches on something lying on the ground and I go flying, striking my head on the floor. I feel a pain shooting through my head and leg at the same time.

Everything goes black.


	3. Worry

It is dark. Well not completely dark. There is a faint red glow coming from behind my eyelids. I can hear people talking. I think they're talking about me.

"Wanda"

I hear my name being called and a hand brushes lightly against my cheek leaving a burning trail following it. I think whoever the hand belongs to wants me to open my eyes. Reluctantly I do so. My lids feel heavy, as though they are glued together, however as soon as they are open I feel reassurance and warmth rush through me. Ian's anxious sapphire eyes meet my silver.

"Are you all right?" he asks. He is biting his bottom lip, something he only does if he is really worried.

"yes," I reply. Why shouldn't I be?

"your head doesn't hurt does it?"

"no. Should it?"

Ian chuckles darkly to himself.

"not now it shouldn't. Doc gave you about a ton of No Pain."

I am just about to ask why when everything comes back to me. The No Pain would be the reason why I wasn't in pain. Quickly I sit up. Big mistake. I feel nauseas, but I don't think I am going to be sick. Ian pushes me back onto what ever I am lying on.

"What happened?" I say weakly.

"Um, well you had been gone for an abnormally long amount of time. I mean, even you don't take ten minuets to walk down a corridor. I had thought that you couldn't lift it or something but being you, were to shy to ask for help." He flashes one of his dazzling grins at me when he says this. I attempt to glare at him however fail miserably. "anyway, I made the excuse that I needed the bathroom and slipped after you. You were in our room." He shudders at this point as if the memory haunts him. I suddenly feel guilt plummet into my stomach, it was my fault he felt like that. "I, you were lying on the floor in the most awkward position, blood pouring from you head. I can only think that you tripped over all the crap on the floor." He worriedly glances at his side. It is only now that I start to take in my surroundings.

I am in the hospital wing, that much is clear, and I am in one of the many white cots that line the room. Surrounding my bed is Ian, Doc, Peter, Jamie, Mel, Jared, and the whole of the rest of my 'family' besides. Well, almost everyone. I immediately recognise the absence of Maggie, Shannon, Sunny and Kyle.

"Ian thought you'd _died!_" Jamie calls out from the foot of my bed. Mel digs her younger brother in the ribs. "shut _up!_" she mutters.

"OW!" Jamie protest, massaging his side. "That hurt!"

Mel gives him evils and I laugh. Poor Jamie.

"but Wanda, what i cant understand, is How you ended up on the floorin the first place" Doc had pushed forward so tha he was infront of Ian, his soft green eyes crutinizing me.

"I fainted" -at least i think I did.  
"you fainted?" Doc's voice is curious.  
"Yes, iwas just about to pick up the C- Um Mel's present whe i felt all dizzy. I tripped over somthing and...And i dont remember anymore."

Doc was silent, deep in thought.

"how long have I been out?" I ask suddenly.

"about two hours" it is Peter who answers, Doc is still thinking. As he speaks, Peter's aged face expresses no sign of emotion, as normal. He lost his whole family to the souls. But it wasn't like they had been inserted. They tried to run, and as a result were killed by seekers. Peter is tall, almost 6'4" with a large amount of thick, grey hair to go with his inquisitive grey eyes.

Two hours?

Oh no.

"you guys haven't been standing around my bed for two _hours_ have you?" I ask suspiciously. Everyone is silent. I attempt to glare at them.

"Wanda, do you really expect me to be enjoying my party while you were stuck here unconscious do you?" Mel says, folding her arms.

"yes."


	4. Contacts

"_please_ don't go!" I pause outside Sunny and Kyle's cave listening briefly to Sunny's desperate pleas. It is a week after my fainting incident and Mel's birthday and Jeb has announced that there needs to be another raid. Sunny- like normal- is more than reluctant to let Kyle go. Even after two years she still wont let him out of her sight, even for a minuet. However she also understands the importance of raids.

At least I think she does.

I keep on walking because it is rude to eavesdrop, but even five foot down the tunnel I can hear their whispered argument. I am headed towards the kitchen. Jared, Ian and Jeb are planning the raid and with them nothing goes unplanned. It is also much more complicated than normal since I will not be going with them. I think that 'arguments' whether I should go raiding or not are the only times I have ever raised my voice to anyone, let alone Ian. But he was insistent that I stay behind, Jeb too, and what Jeb says, goes.

It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't tripped over Ian on my rush to the bathroom. I woke up this morning feeling really sick. So sick in fact I had to run to the bathroom. I didn't want anyone to know, after all, it just means a whole load of trouble for everyone else. I reach the big garden which is currently filled with lots of little green shoots and cross to the kitchen.

"Wanda!" Jeb exclaims as soon as I open the door. "We were just discussing you,"

"I want to come" I say, in what is supposed to be a severe tone.

Jeb, Jared, Ian, Jamie, Mel and Eden are sitting around the large wooden centre table. I shoot a curious glance at Eden and Jamie who seem to be discreetly holding hands under the table. Eden sees me looking and goes bright red, looking down and inspecting her free left fingers.

"No" I look up. It is Ian who talks, staring at me with his sapphire eyes, concerned and forceful.

"But Ian!" I protest.

"Wanda you are not well. Fainting and then puking. I don't want you to get hurt." His eyes soften, turning all liquidy, the consistency that make my legs turn to jelly. Ian stands up, walking towards me, then taking me by my hand leads my back to the table and places me like a child upon his knee. Naturally I blush scarlet, but Ian laughs, kissing me full on the lips.

"hehum" Jeb coughs and Ian and I break apart.

"yes?" Ian asks innocently.

"As I was saying, since Wanda will _not_ be accompanying us, we will have to be extra careful." Jeb reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. "Nate managed to somehow get hold of these. Reflective contacts." He looks expectantly and the little group however is greeted by blank stares. "Reflective contacts anyone?" he gestures with his hands, as if trying to get the cogs of every one's brains moving slightly faster.

"wow!" every one stares at Jared. "were the hell did he get those?"

"I dunno. Burns most likely."

"Wow." Jared says again.

"um, sorry to be a thickie here" a small but confident voice from the end of the table pipes up. I look up at Eden, who is nervously turning red again. Eden is taller than me, about 5"4 with long straight blonde hair reaching almost to her waist. Her roundish face is hidden behind her long fringe and her large blue eyes behind thick black rimmed glasses. "Sorry, but what do they do?"

"exactly what _I_ was wondering" Jamie says, perhaps in defence of Eden.

"well, Jeb starts to explain, these contacts have some sort of metal strip in them, meaning that when you shine light at them, they reflect."

After almost quarter of an hour of more planning, it was decided that the party should leave as soon as possible.

"Rather sooner than later," Jeb had said. "We don't have much supply, maybe enough for a week more."

And so the group left later that evening, Jared, Ian, Kyle, Brandt, Peter and a few others. Ian kisses me goodbye just before he leaves.

"goodbye, I love you." He says as we pause for breath. I can feel the heat from his lips still on mine, tingling almost.

Then they leave and every thing goes back too normal.

At least, almost normal.


	5. Realisations

I open my eyes once again to feel the now familiar feeling of nausea. It has been three days since the raiders left, and each day has started with the same feeling of wanting to wretch my guts up. Sleepily I stumble out of bed and down the gloomy, ill lit cave corridors to the bathroom. I am so pre-occupied with not puking everywhere I don't notice the shadow quietly slipping behind me. I get to the bathroom and duck through the small entrance, running to lean over the side of the spring on the dusty dark floor, my stomach retching up last night's dinner. I clutch my stomach waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. It usually does within about five or so minuets. I haven't told anyone that the problem has persisted though. It is usually early in the morning and I can run to the washroom without waking anyone. I haven't told anyone though. Everyone has other problems to worry about. The day before yesterday a helicopter flew over the caves. Everyone is worried, but Jeb thinks its just a routine check. Even so… I stop retching and straighten up, edging away from the side of the miniature cliff. Even five foot from the stream I can still feel the heat upon my face. Horrible memories of this room still haunts me even two years on. Shakily I stand up, brushing the purple dust from the knees of my to big combats.

"Wanda?"

I spin around, taken by surprise. Its about six am. No one normally gets up before seven.

"oh, hi Mel" I stutter. I hope there's not too much dirt on my pants. Mel has been acting really suspicious lately. "what are you doing up so early?" I try to keep my voice level and my fiercely beating heart under control.

"I came to go to the bathroom" she pauses "Wanda, what were you doing?" her large hazel eyes are narrowed, I can almost see the cogs working in her head.

"Nothing" I say quickly. Too quickly.

We stare at each other neither moving. I concentrate on breathing slowly

"Wanda? Are…" Melanie hesitates, one of her rough, tanned hands tucking a strand of brown hair behind her right ear in an agitated fashion. "are you pregnant?"

WHAT?

I start panicking, my breath becoming fast and light. The large, high ceiling room spins, the dark shadows attempting to engulf me. I don't know much about human birth. Could…no… can it be possible? An image, one that seems like a thousand years ago flits through my mind of me. I am in Mel's body staring out of a window. A family, a mother a father and a child are playfully skipping in the small swing park opposite. I know instinctively, like I did then, that this child is human, conceived by two soul parents.

"No!" I cry, trying to keep my voice steady, disguising the sudden wall that had built itself around me. But it was no use, my voice had disintegrated to a coarse whisper. Pregnant? How can I be pregnant I… I clutch my stomach suddenly fearful, trying not to faint. I hear Mel's foot steps on the ground as she walks towards me but I don't look up. I am afraid of what she will think.

I feel gentle hands on my shoulder, gentle but rough from were they have worked. Carefully they guide me across the dark cave to a conveiniently shaped stone. There Mel pushes me down so that I sit. I close my eyes and her hands gently oush my head between my knees to prevent me from vomiting again. We sit there for, oh I don't know how long, fifteen minuets maybe, listening to the thunderous, echoing if the river. I don't realise that I am crying until a drop trips from my small, freckled, upturned nose and Melanie has to wipe it away with the grubby hem of her jacket.

"you are aren't you" her soft but firm voice come floating towards me over the bubble of the spring and I shrug weakly.

I don't know.

I clutch my stomach again as though I could feel the thing growing inside of me.

But then I realise I a not clutching it out of fear.

But out of love.

I am protecting it.

"Wanda. Have you and Ian…" she trails off suggestively but still I don't look up, instead I give the tiniest nod, in that one nod, revealing everything.

"oh Wanda!"

Mel suddenly clutches me in her arms, clinging on to me, hugging me with what seems all her might. I suddenly feel wet stiff on me cheeks and realise that Melanie's tears are mixing with my own. At first I think that they are tears of despair and sadness, but the broad smile on her friendly, tanned face tells a different story.

"Wanda, I'm going to be an Auntie!"

"you cant tell anyone" I whisper fiercely. We are walking down the dingy, ill lit corridors leading to the sleeping quarters. Mel, after what seemed like years of interrogation about the last time I had slept with Ian et cetera, had finally confirmed her theory by making me realise how long since my last period.

"five weeks Wanda" she had stated. I could swear that she was almost more exited by this than I was. "that is just not natural"

"of course I wont!" Mel cried in response to my request. "what do you think I am?" but then she stopped. "but we are going to have to tell every one sooner or later, Maggie atleast will guess, and it wont be that many months until you start showing." At this point I clutched my belly again. Maggie wouldn't try to stop me would she? But then again, how could she? I tried to clam me with the thoughts that there was nothing anyone could do about it now. It was going to happen.

We stop outside my room's 'door'. It is only a quarter to seven, however unless we want people to start getting suspicious, we would have to go back to our rooms.

Suddenly a thought hit my mind. Ian.

"Omigod" I stand stock still, staring at Mel with a mixture of panic and worry.

"What?" her thin, dark brows knit together in a way that reminded me creepily of Jared. If the thought that has struck me had not been so worrying I would have laughed, however I could not laugh now.

"wh-what is Ian going to think of this?" I ask, biting my bottom lip for comfort. Its not that I am scared of Ian, I was scared of what he would think. He was only twenty four, I twenty. No, not even that, nighteen if you didn't count the stolen year.

I look up at Mel, who simply looks at me like an idiot.

"you idiot." She says, a smile forming around her lips. "he will be elated. Who wouldn't?" huh, lets think… Sharon, Maggie…

Nonetheless, I feel encouraged by Mel's vote of confidence.


End file.
